Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-05-13

Parchment was not used, and the rough,
unruled wrapping paper like material h Of
all shapes and Sizes
In book containing the messages of John
Adams l came across AZ autograph letter of
Martha washington, sent to Adams shortly
after her husbands death and submitted by
Adams to congress. 1t relates to the pro-
posed removal Of Washington's remains from
Mount Vernon to the national Capitol, and
as read the trembling lines / could almost
see the widow of the first president seated in
her little attic room at Mount Vernon, to
which she retired after his death with only
cat. it is said, for company. She kept her
room, you know, for months and refused to be
comforted, and it was here she wrote this
letter. 1t Is dated the 31st Of January, 1893,
the year in which Washington died On its
back there is a note saying it was sent to
congress with the message of the president,
on the 9Th of January, 1900 The paper is
OF the size of the largest fashionable note
paper of to-day. Its edges are yellow and its
color has been faded by its eighty seven years
of age. Tt is torn at the top, and Mr.. Finch
tells me it was once stolen and afterward re-
turned as mysteriously as it was taken away.
The writing is plain and the words are so well
spelled that it is fair to suppose that Tobias
Lear, Washington's private secretary, cor
rected the first draft of the letter, and that
Martha copied it before it was sent It reads:
Mt. VERNON, Dec. 81, 1799
SIR-While feel with keenest anguish the late
dispensation of divine providence I cannot be
insensble to the mournful tributes Of respect and
veneration which are paid to the memory Of nv
dear deceased husband-and as his best services
and most anxious wishes were always devoted to
the welfare and happiness of his country-to
know that they were fully appreciated and CRATE.
fully remembered, affords no inconsiderable con
ISOLATION.
Taught by the great example which have long
had before me, never to oppose nv private
wishes to the public WILL must consent to the
request made by congress which you have had
the goodness to transmit to me, and in doing this
need not, cannot, say what sacrifice Of ind
vidual feeling make to sense of public dutv
With grateful acknow ledgment and unfeipned
thanks for the personal respect and evidences of
coincidence expressed by congress and yourself
l remain, very respectfully, sir,
Your most obedient and humble servant
MARTHA WASHINGTON.
~
The journals of all the congresses ara here
and looked with interest over the first iour
nal of the house of representatives. big.
thick ledger, fourteen inches wide and TWEEN
ty.four inches long 1t was begun in 1889.
and the heavy calf In which it is bound is
worn through at the edges, and the red can
vas cover which is over this is frayed and
torn with the rubbing of more than three
generations Of fingers. The writing how
ever, Is as plain now as when it was first
penned, and this clerk Of the house of repre-
sentatives Of ninety seven years ago was not |
bad scribe. He took pride in his work, and
the first page is decorated as though done by |
one of those artist monks of the middle ages
who made the Illuminated bibles of antiouitv.
1t has the fineness of an elaborate conner
plate engraving, and this decoration is kept
up during the session Of the First congress.
AS the years go on the careful writing dies
out, and after few congresses all that is
aimed at is legibility The newness has worn
off, and the clerk evidently wants to finish
his work as soon as possible.
".
In room at the right of the one in which
looked at the above papers, there is another
packed with more of these old papers and
valuable autographs. Here is the full testi.
mony taken before the committee on the con-
duct OF the war, and down below I was
shown thousands of files of war claims which
have been presented to congress. The testi-
mony be-o.e - committees in important |
cases is kept here, and when it is remembered |
that one class of these war claims brought in |
more than 22,0OO claimants, and the amount |
asked for was more than $50, 900, 600, some !
what of the extent of this class of the records |
may be seen.
Many of these documents are confidential. |
and there is third room, which looks like |
the cell of prison, which is devoted to these.
The collection includes confidential messages
20 the congresses of the past and, like much
of the other matter, it is full of unwritten /
history. None of these papers are ever seen
by strangers. They are hidden away in
rooms off of the corridors of the Capitol, and
are watched as carefully as the surplus of the
treasury. 1t is well that it is SO, for an auto
graph theft could easily ruin many valuable
papers, and in such mass the thief might
not be detected for years after it's commits
SION. FRANK G. CARPENTER